Forsyth City HallCity of Forsyth, GA

The design of the new City Hall for the City of Forsyth, GA creates a functional home for city government services and delivers an efficient experience for occupants and visitors. Prior to its completion, the city had been operating out of a historic bank building for three decades, which came with limitations and challenges. The city was eager to imagine a new space and partnered with Clark Nexsen to facilitate city council and user group workshops. Together, we established a building program that meets the present and future needs of the community.

Size

13,000 SF

Cost

$4,600,000

Photography

Katie Bricker

Services

architecture, interior design, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing engineering

Forsyth City Hall; Architect: Clark Nexsen

Design pays homage to city’s history while looking to the future

“Proud past, promising future”—the city’s slogan—served as a thesis for the building’s design. Warm, red brick, bright white accents, and stone-clad columns pay homage to the city’s local historic context, while the double-height glass facades and exposed steel structure look to the future. An expansive, thin-roof canopy reaches out over the public courtyard, providing the city with its own “front porch,” an architectural feature familiar to the residents of the small but growing southern community.

Programming balances private city offices and public services

The facility includes private and public portions, balancing the need to serve residents and house private offices for the city’s core staff. The private, two-story portion of the building is separated from the public, single-story portion by the central lobby, which spans the length of the building to serve both the front and rear entrances. The central lobby and the courtyard serve as a gathering space for public and private events.

Forsyth City Hall; Architect: Clark Nexsen

The city functions as both local government and utility provider, requiring a building that serves as not only a municipal office building, but also a bank. The building features a secure payment suite—complete with a vault, three counter payment windows, and a drive-through payment station. In addition to receiving payments, the building also hosts the city council’s public meetings in a formal council chamber.